Have you claimed for........?

[HappyHooves]

I would like to hear your experiences and also get some advice please.
My horse recently showed mild signs of colic and was scoped and shown to have low grade gastric ulcers. He is insured with KBIS who have covered the meds, scoping etc and will also cover ulcer treatment for the next 12 months as is usual. However, the renewal is due and as expected the premium has gone up. But what is worrying is the exclusion that has now been applied. It states that it excludes ' all losses arising directly or indirectly from the digestive system ( including colic)'. I contacted the insurers for clarification since both my vet and I felt this to be extreme and would have expected an exclusion for ulcers since the cause was so specific for the claim. They replied that the exclusion was ' underwriter speak' and that each claim would have to be assessed.
I have been trying to think of which illnesses could be described as 'digestive system' related:- abscess in the gut, maybe they include the liver, diarhoea of unknown origin? What things have you had to claim for that would come into this category? How did they present if not with colic?
I am wondering if I should change insurers and see what other companies exclude! The really silly thing is that, because I chose a policy that covered surgery for colic I now have an exclusion for colic but not for surgery for colic!

For those who have had to claim for gastric ulcer treatment, what exclusions have you had placed when you have renewed your insurance?

 

[LadyRascasse]

I had a horse who went lame but took a while to diagnose his lameness. Petplan excluded all lameness, when challanged they excluded just his feet and when challenged again (he had rotated pedal bones) they excluded just the rotation of the pedal bones but not laminitus. I had to get my vet to write a letter stating exactly what was wrong with him and how this wouldn't effect his future soundness. Ulcers however could be tricky as they could cause colic. Worth speaking to both KBIS and your vets and see what you can sort out.

 

[fusspot]

My horses are all insured with KBIS and I have had a claim paid out for by them in the last couple of months for Gastric Ulcers.My renewal was due at the same time as the claim.I double checked with them as the exclusion was on the renewal-you are covered until the first date noticed/claimed for,for the ulcers-my renewal was September and would have until August 2013 for any claims Ulcer related as claim first dated August 2012.It is either this date or if you have used your money up first. My renewal showed that he is covered for Colic and Colic Surgery as long as not Ulcer related.My boy never had colic from Ulcers,he showed other symptoms. I would just ring them for clarification-they are very helpful.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Not KBIS, but my insurers excluded all arthritic conditions because of an arthritic hock. I challenged this and was told tough, so any issues eleswhere bust aren't related won't be covered.

You can get exclusions lifted if the vet sends a report in after a year showing no further problems but I don't know if that would apply for ulcers. Seems to me that companies are taking a much harder line recently.

 

[HappyHooves]

My horses are all insured with KBIS and I have had a claim paid out for by them in the last couple of months for Gastric Ulcers.My renewal was due at the same time as the claim.I double checked with them as the exclusion was on the renewal-you are covered until the first date noticed/claimed for,for the ulcers-my renewal was September and would have until August 2013 for any claims Ulcer related as claim first dated August 2012.It is either this date or if you have used your money up first. My renewal showed that he is covered for Colic and Colic Surgery as long as not Ulcer related.My boy never had colic from Ulcers,he showed other symptoms. I would just ring them for clarification-they are very helpful.

Thanks fusspot. Yes, as is usual for all insurance, I too have cover until the 12 months after the first claim, for all conditions. What wording was there on your renewal? Was it the 'all digestive system both direct and indirect' thing or only the gastric ulcers exclusion? If only gastric ulcers, was this because your vet wrote to KBIS soon after the renewal?

 

[dixie]

I've claimed for Ulcers with Petplan. Renewal is due this month, so will let you know what exclusions they've slapped on - he's not had colic with it though, so slightly different scenario.

 

[catherine22]

Not KBIS, but my insurers excluded all arthritic conditions because of an arthritic hock. I challenged this and was told tough, so any issues eleswhere bust aren't related won't be covered.

I have exactly the same thing

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You don’t have to necessarily live with exclusions on you insurance policy!

I like many others I switched from NFU to KBIS because of the ridiculous increase of premiums. I filed in clinical details & also sent a copy of the vetting my horse had when he was bought 4 years ago. As a result I received a quote etc however there were 4 exclusions on the insurance.

1. Losses arising directly or indirectly from wound to right hind hock & capped hock
2. Ditto…… from wolf teeth
3. Ditto…… corneal oedema
4. Ditto……fibrous swelling of extensor tendon right hind cannon

I telephoned KBIS & followed up with a letter regarding the above telling them that (1) the wound was minor, the hock had slight fluid on it at time but was not capped & was now totally recovered. Regarding (2) he had had his wolf teeth removed 3 years ago so that exclusion was redundant. Regarding (4) I had no recall of him ever having this injury & I produced a full clinical printout from my vet where there was no mention of this on it. Regarding (3) I accepted that he had a minor eye injury from when he was young & this did not affect his sight but I understood they may wish to have this as an exclusion.

As a result I received a new policy of insurance & all exclusions except the eye had been removed.

If anyone has exclusions on their policy & the horse is now recovered, is fit & healthy & has no lasting effect then contact your insurance company & they will ask you to sign a health declaration & the exclusions will probably be removed. They will only remove exclusions if you take steps to have the removed.

As a result of this the one rear leg of my horse, which was basically excluded from cover, is now fully covered...... worth doing I think?

 

[fusspot]

My claim has on it that he is excluded from any Ulcer treatment and he is covered for Colic and Colic Surgery as long as it is not related to Ulcers.When we took him for his last scope my vet was asking me what was on it as she said that a lot of people were getting Colic being totally excluded and they were having to write a lot of letters to Insurance Companies to get this changed.Mine has nothing about Digestive problems but this is probably as my boy never showed typical signs and never had colic.
My son's pony had a small gassy colic due to stress at moving when we bought her-they excluded colic from her which I wrote to them about after she had no more colics for 2 years.They removed hers without even asking for vets report but then she got a displaced colon which didn't need operating on so now does have colic as an exclusion!.